Hit-and-run driver crashes through garage

An unidentified motorist crashed through a garage at a residence at the corner of South Mullen Avenue and 8th Street last Friday before fleeing the scene on foot. The vehicle, a Chevrolet Tahoe, was left at the scene, and police are in the process of determining who was behind the wheel when the collision occurred.

The incident was reported at approximately 10:30 p.m. in a neighborhood just south of Wilshire Boulevard. The owner of the residence, who declined to provide his name, said he felt his house vibrate and thought it was an earthquake.

The Tahoe was traveling eastbound on 8th Street and veered into the structure, crashing through a garage door and a wall before coming to rest against the house. No one was injured inside the residence.

Det. Olin Osborne, with the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Traffic Division, said the vehicle was registered to a man in his mid-60s with an address in South Los Angeles. When officers went to the man’s residence after the collision, he was not there, but they spoke to his wife, Osborne said. The man later showed up at the LAPD’s West Traffic Division on Venice Boulevard and provided police with a statement. According to the detective, the man is disputing that he was driving, and now police must complete an investigation before charges are considered, or an arrest can be made. He said it is not clear, based on a police report, whether alcohol or drugs were involved.

Detectives are asking for anyone who witnessed the collision to call (213)473-0234.